THE BULGARIAN FLORA ONLINE
THE BULGARIAN FLORA ONLINE
(Click on the pictures to see them in larger size)
Hornbeam, Common hornbeam.
Carpinus betulus L.
NOT protected species in Bulgaria.
The Common hornbeam is a smallmedium sized deciduous tree normally reaching heights of 20-25 metres1-3, although in old growth forests heights can exceed 30 metres. The crown is irregular, ovoid or conic, becoming domed in old trees. The bark is smooth and steel grey, having a muscled character to its appearance6. The leaves are alternate, simple, obovate, with serrated margins, 8-10 cm long, opaque to dull green, with prominent parallel veins. They are quite similar to those of the beech (Fagus sylvatica), but less shiny. Leaves do not drop in winter, but only in spring when the new green leaves are starting to come out (marcescence). The autumn colour ranges from yellowish-green to golden yellow. The hornbeam is monoecious: flowers are unisexual, borne in pendulous catkins. The male catkins are loose, up to 6 cm long, expanding in spring as yellow curtains2. The female catkins are up to 15 cm long and to 6 cm broad. Flowers blossom from March to April and are wind-pollinated. The fruits are clustered in about 8 pairs of nutlets (achene), 6-8 mm, each pair at the base of a green leathery tri-lobate bract, 3.5 cm long. The hornbeam is an abundant seeding tree and is marked by vigorous natural regeneration. Seeds often do not germinate until the spring of the second year after sowing1.
The species is distributed throughout the country, between 0 and 1300 m altitude [Delipavlov & al., 2003].
Map of general distribution of Carpinus betulus2:
1 Sikkema, R., Caudullo, G., de Rigo, D., 2016. Carpinus betulus in Europe: distribution, habitat, usage and threats. In: San-Miguel-Ayanz, J., de Rigo, D., Caudullo, G., Houston Durrant, T., Mauri, A. (Eds.), European Atlas of Forest Tree Species. Publ. Off. EU, Luxembourg, pp. e01d8cf+.
2 Sikkema, R., Caudullo, G., de Rigo, D., 2016. Carpinus betulus in Europe: distribution, habitat, usage and threats. In: San-Miguel-Ayanz, J., de Rigo, D., Caudullo, G., Houston Durrant, T., Mauri, A. (Eds.), European Atlas of Forest Tree Species. Publ. Off. EU, Luxembourg, pp. e01d8cf+.
The theory of evolution is a lie!